Onslow's String Quintet in D minor, Op. 45, challenges the notion of string instruments as essentially lyrical, making effective use of sudden dynamic shifts and varied articulation.
Composer Biography
Georges Onslow, born in Clermont-Ferrand, France, had a French mother and an English father who was forced into exile due to a homosexual scandal.
Performer Biography
The Elan Quintet, formed in Valencia in 2014, consists of musicians who have performed with renowned ensembles such as the Moscow Philharmonic, Berlin Radio Symphony, and Vienna Philharmonic.
Composer Biography
Onslow studied piano with notable teachers Jan Ladislav Dussek and Johann Baptist Cramer in London, and composition with Anton Reicha in Paris, who was friends with Beethoven, Salieri, and Haydn.
Composition History
Onslow initially doubted including the double bass in his quintets but was convinced after a virtuoso double bassist, Domenico Dragonetti, filled in for a missing cellist at a London soirée, leading Onslow to applaud mid-performance.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Onslow, despite being an amateur musician from a noble background, was highly respected by contemporaries like Berlioz and Schumann, who considered him a successor to Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven in string chamber music.
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